Intervertebral discs may be displaced or damaged due to trauma or disease resulting in disruption of the annulus fibrosis and the eventual protrusion of the nucleus pulposus into the spinal canal, a condition commonly referred to as a herniated or ruptured disc. The extruded nucleus pulposus may press on the spinal nerve, which may cause nerve damage, pain, numbness, muscle weakness and paralysis. Intervertebral discs may also deteriorate due to the normal aging process. As a disc dehydrates and hardens, the disc space height may be reduced, leading to instability of the spine, decreased mobility and pain.
Treatment to relieve the symptoms of these conditions has included partial or complete discectomy followed by fusion of the adjacent vertebrae or the installation of a mechanical motion preservation device. More recently, efforts have been directed to replacing the nucleus pulposus of the disc with an implant. However, once positioned in the disc space, implants may migrate in the disc space and/or may become expelled from the disc space through an annular defect. Tools, methods, and devices are therefore needed to repair intervertebral discs.